Friday 24 September 2010

Live tweeting: IWPR roundtable discussion on problems faced by LGBT people in Armenia

Many thanks to Lara Aharonian of Women's Resource Centre in Yerevan for live tweeting from the IWPR roundtable discussion on problems faced by LGBT people in Armenia.


All tweets below are by @Lara_Aha, with few questions and replies from me @unzippedblog.
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at #IWPR office listening to Pink Armenia about the discrimination issues against #LGBT in #Armenia

"hate speech against #lgbt is very present in our local media and is presented as freedom of speech",- mamikon #Armenia

in 2009, complaints have been sent by a gay couple in #yerevan being harassed by police in the streets #lgbt #armenia

Lusine Vayachyan talking about the reality of #trans people and health issues in #Armenia #lgbt

#transgender people don't have any kind of support or health resources to lead a healthy life in #Armenia #lgbt

doctors and psychologists are trying to heal #trans and #lgbt people in #Armenia to make them straight as an only option

There is a great need to reform and train doctors, endocrinologist and sexologist on issues of #lgbt in #armenia

to learn more on #trans people issues in #armenia read http://bit.ly/9lDn3m

there is a law in Armenia to give permission for sex change but only for hermaphrodites and not for #trans people

RA signed 2 international declarations (UN and EU level) to improve the rights of #lgbt people in #Armenia

young #armenian #gay men prefer to be diagnosed as "mentally ill" than serve in the army and get harassed or raped #lgbt

"close your eyes and kiss the woman, so you can lead a normal straight life" - an advice given by psychologists to #gay men in #armenia

@unzippedblog: @Lara_Aha are reps from Ombudsman office, police, ministries, government officials, media present? What about turnout in general?

@unzippedblog some media present, representative from SOROS, British Council, i think OSCE

@unzippedblog and british embassy

@unzippedblog some 30-35 people

very few #lgbt people report to the police when in situation of harassment or assault in #armenia fearing more discrimination

@unzippedblog: @Lara_Aha but no government officials?

@unzippedblog nope!

@unzippedblog apparently they sent invitation to government officials, they said they will come but didn't.

@unzippedblog the representative from the ombudsman office came, registered and left very early, at the beginning.

@unzippedblog: @Lara_Aha that's disappointing :( And what was Ombudsman rep excuse for leaving so early?Will we hear again 'we are not aware of problems'?!

@unzippedblog: @Lara_Aha thanks a lot for all your updates, Lara jan.

*picture - via M.K.'s FB page

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

As mentioned elsewhere in Facebook, Sara from IWPR said the Ombudsman rep came, registered and left, saying that another rep from their office would come along shortly, but of course that "other rep" never came.

Sara also mentioned that both the Ministry of Health and Ombudsman office, when they first received the invites for the event, said "What does this have to do with us?" Can you believe it?!

artmika said...

Unfortunately, I can believe it... I'm gonna make a separate post on this.